DRS practice and qualifying rules to be changed for 2013 (merged)

Adam Cooper ‏@adamcooperf1
#F1 FIA's Charlie Whiting confirms that from 2013 DRS can only be used in the official DRS zone during practice and qualifying. Previously drivers could use DRS wherever they wanted to around the lap on Friday and Saturday.
9:42 PM - 15 Nov 12

I think Charlie Whiting is just a manifestation of Adrian Newey's superego. Every time he comes up with some circumvention or twisting of the intent of the rules, the Headmaster comes and slaps them down.

Incredibly disappointing, what made quali so fun to watch (and drive in the F1 games) was watching drivers push the limit of where they could use DRS, with it also being a good indicator as to how good the cars were. It also had a useful function of forcing teams to compromise between quali and race, and meant that teams were usually spread out on a spectrum, with some faster on quali pace, and others faster during the race. Now however any skill in using it has been removed and it is now reduced to a method of artificially passing (despite the fact it's a poor compromise solving the dirty air problem).

On the plus side this might benefit Mercedes, Lotus and their passive stall systems.

This change doesn't make any sense to me, and it could use some explanation. Despite that I actually hate whole idea of using DRS at any time, I do however understand for what it is used on Sunday. Who cares hwoever if they are using it on Saturday? They aren't racing to gain a track position, but a better lap time. Everyone has it, everyone can use it as much as they want, so what's the problem?

This change doesn't make any sense to me, and it could use some explanation. Despite that I actually hate whole idea of using DRS at any time, I do however understand for what it is used on Sunday. Who cares hwoever if they are using it on Saturday? They aren't racing to gain a track position, but a better lap time. Everyone has it, everyone can use it as much as they want, so what's the problem?

The problem, and I'm assuming, is that it has become to big of a performance differentiator in qualifying when the intention for it's introduction was solely to aid overtaking.

In a way it makes sense, in that they only want you to use it in the same places you'd use it in the race, but as others have said, it does reduce the chances of compromising between quali and the race in terms of gearing, as you could basically either set your car up for overtaking in the race or set it up to get the ultimate lap time in quali with the hope of being able to pull clear of other cars around the DRS zone in the race.

I was always under the impression that the reason it was usable throughout the whole lap in qualifying was to encourage teams to select "DRS-friendly" gear ratios for the weekend. Otherwise, there wasn't much incentive to have a taller 7th gear, which would allow you to gain more speed with the slot open but would be less than optimal with the slot closed.

I think this makes sense. DRS being used differently in Quali and the race is a bit odd IMO. About the gearing issue, that is another issue altogether in those damn parc ferme regulations. Those should be freed up aswell, but I think this makes sense.

Now teams will gear the cars shorter for the 90 odd percent of the lap that isn't DRS assisted, so when the time comes to use DRS in the race they'll just bounce off the rev limiter.

Hmmmm I did initially think this, but drs helps now when all cars compromis quali and race gearing sometimes by big margin, so won't it surely work the same way with all cars again compromising drs gears etc

In a way it makes sense, in that they only want you to use it in the same places you'd use it in the race, but as others have said, it does reduce the chances of compromising between quali and the race in terms of gearing, as you could basically either set your car up for overtaking in the race or set it up to get the ultimate lap time in quali with the hope of being able to pull clear of other cars around the DRS zone in the race.

Hopefully teams will have finally realised with Vettel's run last race that overtaking is EASY now if you have the DRS speed, and qualifying position doesnt really matter as much anymore.The advantages of being able to sail past your opponents (in the race) massively outweighs the advantage in getting an extra spot or two further up the grid (in qualy).

DRS sucks so much, just get rid of it.Formula 1 was fine for 60 years without it, it's unbelievable how the FIA is always trying to reinvent the wheel.

with the current aero, if one car is 1 second behind another, then it loses a lot of down force and under steers badly, this has led to implementation of DRS, I have tried this situation in a sim and it is pretty annoying without DRS, unless you are 2-3 seconds faster than the car in front you will not be able to overtake.

There has been a lot of people within f1 talking about under steer whilst being behind another car, where have you been??

with the current aero, if one car is 1 second behind another, then it loses a lot of down force and under steers badly, this has led to implementation of DRS, I have tried this situation in a sim and it is pretty annoying without DRS, unless you are 2-3 seconds faster than the car in front you will not be able to overtake.

There has been a lot of people within f1 talking about under steer whilst being behind another car, where have you been??

"We are going to prohibit the use of the DRS during practice and qualifying except in the places where it's going to be used in the race," said Whiting."It's something that we told the teams about the other day, that we are doing it for safety reasons."There have been a number of incidents and drivers have told me that it's becoming increasingly prevalent [for the early deployment of DRS to cause problems]."One could argue that the early deployment of the DRS is not much different to early deployment of the throttle, but the DRS is an on/off switch whereas the throttle can be modulated."

"The whole point of the DRS was to improve overtaking opportunities in the race," said Whiting."We didn't really want to have it used in qualifying and practice before but we were worried that we may not have effective DRS systems."Now I believe [based on] all the information we have, we should not see any reduction in the power of the DRS."Teams will still use it because even though they're allowed to use it in perhaps two places on the circuit, the benefit will still be there."I'm sure that it will work just as it does now."

Ed Straw thinks similarly in the linked article. I doubt that they are correct, but we will see.

Precisely, i said long ago that the way to fix this issue is to put in rules that at certain distance behind a car there should be aerodynamic pressure of XYZ value. In short the aerodynamic of the car shouldn't disturb the air behind at level it does today.

Ed Straw thinks similarly in the linked article. I doubt that they are correct, but we will see.

DRS is in danger of becoming something mainly used by midfield teams. Even before this rule change, Red Bull and sometimes McLaren have been running lower gear ratios, which give an advantage at the start of the race in clean air but make overtaking very difficult, especially towards the end of the race. Vettel's changed setup in Abu Dhabi was an exception of course.

There was nothing strictly artificial about DRS itself unless you consider movable aerodynamic devices 'artificial' in the face of the old regulations. Overtaking zones were the artificial part, DRS itself was not. By moving the use of DRS exclusively into the overtaking zones, they're highlighting its use as an artificial overtaking aid as opposed to a technological challenge.

I don't understand why nobody ever bothers to separate the DRS technology itself from overtaking zones, because they're two entirely different concepts.

I read just about anything written what I could find on internet why the rule is being changed, and I do not mind to admit that technical substance still escaping me, and more I read about it, more I am getting convinced that true reasons are yet to be told.

There was nothing strictly artificial about DRS itself unless you consider movable aerodynamic devices 'artificial' in the face of the old regulations. Overtaking zones were the artificial part, DRS itself was not. By moving the use of DRS exclusively into the overtaking zones, they're highlighting its use as an artificial overtaking aid as opposed to a technological challenge.

I don't understand why nobody ever bothers to separate the DRS technology itself from overtaking zones, because they're two entirely different concepts.

Of course its bloody artifical if only the chasing driver is allowed to use it.

This change makes absolutely no sense in terms of gearing. Cars will now gear for a slower top speed and DRS will essentially be useless.

There was nothing strictly artificial about DRS itself unless you consider movable aerodynamic devices 'artificial' in the face of the old regulations. Overtaking zones were the artificial part, DRS itself was not. By moving the use of DRS exclusively into the overtaking zones, they're highlighting its use as an artificial overtaking aid as opposed to a technological challenge.

I don't understand why nobody ever bothers to separate the DRS technology itself from overtaking zones, because they're two entirely different concepts.

You're right, I sometimes make that mistake. I'm fine with DRS as a technology, just don't like the stupid overtaking zone system.

I suggested this sometime in the middle of last year with exactly the same reason in this forum, but the redbull fans thought that i was against them inspite of me reasoning the same..."DRS was primarily introduced to aid overtaking in the RACE so no point in qualifying".